by David Kersey
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Confluence
There were three vehicles parked in front of the barn……an all-time record for Joshua’s duration there. The Sheriff’s Excursion he knew, the other two sedans were unknown to him. There was also a pickup truck following Joshua, some fifty yards behind. There might even be more behind that one.
Before he and Namanda exited the truck, Joshua asked, “I want you to keep something strictly to yourself, ok?”
“You don’t have to say anything. I already know about Tracy. So do my parents, now anyway. None of us knew until after we arrived in Orlando.”
“Isn’t it time you heard from your parents?”
Namanda held up her cell phone. “Text messages. They are close by but they are going to wait to meet you until after Tracy leaves. We’ve already worked out a plan to confuse Tracy. Van knows about it, too.”
“So is it, ‘California, here we come’?”
“Maybe! haHA.” Namanda’s smile was ear to ear.
Seven people had emerged from inside the barn. As Joshua and Namanda approached them, it was the third time for Patricia to say, “Oh, my God.” The second utterance was when Adele had ushered her inside the barn.
The pickup truck stopped at the top of the incline of the entry road. “Norbert, isn’t that what’s her name?”
“Who is what’s-her-name?”
“The Lieutenant Governor, that’s who. Reid. And it ain’t Harry Reid, neither. Aw, never mind, you don’t know who that is either.”
“I’ll be damn. What the hell is going on up here, Maggie? An’ it looks like Autry’s been holdin’ out on us. Let’s git down to the Pizza Hut an’ tell all the others.”
After all the introductions were made, the nine people present didn’t say a word for a few seconds, then burst out in laughter. The nine consisted of the Sheriff, Joshua, Adele, Namanda, and Tracy, along with Patricia, Irene Ralston, her sister Pamela O’Brien, and Pamela’s son, Jimmie.
“Kinda thought we were stuck in an elevator there for a moment,” Adele mused. “Come on, Pat and I have rustled up some grub in the workroom. So find a seat if you can and let’s eat.”
“Thanks all the same, Adele. I kinda feel like ya’ll are a black tuxedo an’ I’m a pair a brown shoes. So I’ll be gittin along, if you don’t mind. Nice meetin’ all you folks.” Autry tipped his hat and turned to leave.
“Sheriff Kane?” Is everything ok in McCreary County? Is there anything I can do for you up in Frankfort?” The Lieutenant Governor offered.
“Well things is fine here. Just a bunch a healthly people, an’ I reckon you’re fixin’ to find that out. But tell ya what. Put some pressure on the Park Service to give up the gate they got that belongs down on the entrance to this property. That’d suit me fine.”
“I will do just that. Here’s my card, Sheriff. Call me anytime you have the need. My cell phone is on there. You don’t have that private number on your computer.”
“Much obliged, ma’am. I hope you are the next Senator. We sure could use you up there straightenin’ out that crazy bunch.” Autry opened the front door, looked both ways, and then took off in a gait.
The eight remaining convened in the workroom. Joshua was amused to see Namanda attempting to disguise her corner-of-the-eye looks at Jimmie.
“Hey Jimmie, its two guys and six good looking gals. What do you think about that? Come over here Jimmie, you haven’t properly met Namanda.” Adele said, ever the organizer.
“Please to meet you, Miss Namanda.” Jimmie cordially offered his hand.
“Fine.” Namanda responded, while looking over Jimmie’s shoulder at nothing in particular, all the while grasping on to Joshua’s robe for dear life. She stuck out her other hand in the general direction of Jimmie.
After all had nibbled on the light fare, Joshua invited everyone to venture outside to the rear yard. “Tracy, would you mind taking Jimmie and Namanda down into the valley. I want to talk to the rest in a way that would embarrass one or both of them. Would you do that for me?”
“Of course. I am the chaperone, after all.”
“AAH OOOH.” Joshua hollered. “Just wait,” he told the others. “While we wait, Adele, would you mind bringing out three of the Dixie cups? Pat, and Irene, and Pam, I want you to take a drink of the water in this tank. I think you will be surprised.”
Adele returned with the cups. Joshua filled each half full of the mineral water.
“Oh, my, this is really cold, and tasty, like it has a hint of peppermint in it.” Patricia exclaimed. The two others nodded in agreement.
“Look.” Joshua pointed out that three deer had emerged from the woodlands. They started to prance when Namanda performed her airplane routine. Jimmie looked back up the hill, shrugged, held out his hands waist high, turned, and became an airplane.
“The long name is Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumors; the short name is teratoma. Either way, its testicular cancer.” Pamela explained. “He had an orchiectomy, that’s what the surgery is called that is supposed to have been the last of it. But the swelling is bigger than ever and painful. I am surprised he is running down there with Namanda. I know it is hurting him. Anyway, he is supposed to undergo radiation next month. We are so scared. By we I mean Jimmie and I. I don’t have a husband.”
“Well, I understand your concern, Pam.” Joshua said as the five sat in the lounge. “But I’m sure you’ve been told that his type of cancer is almost always cured. Nevertheless, if you would like to try the NIL, I would be happy to give you what you need until you’ve got a totally healthy young man at your side. Don’t be afraid to use it alongside the radiation therapy, which I recommend he have done.”
“Everyone keeps telling me that. I just wish I, I mean he, could get some results. He is in pain. Some days are so bad he can’t walk.”
“I can make no guarantee no matter what kind of illness is prevalent. With cancer, all I can tell you is that the formula has agents that can increase the number of natural killer cells. It has been beneficial in others with different types of cancer.”
“I can attest to that,” ventured Irene. “There were two complete remission cases of cancer at my hospital. One was acute leukemia, the other Hodgkin’s, and both recoveries involved taking the NIL while in chemotherapy treatment. I had a taste of it myself from a maternity patient’s supply. I could not believe how souped-up it made me feel. Felt like I was riding on a cushion of air.”
“Anything illegal about it?” Patricia asked
“At the moment, yes, there is a small amount of peyote in the mixture. It is so miniscule I had no idea it would test positive under the scope. But it did, so I am going to switch out the mescaline and replace it with a slightly elevated amount of a plant named kava, and also elevate the hemp slightly. It’s really a shame, because the drug content will not show up in a urine or blood sample. But it does show a trace before ingested.”
“Why even use peyote in the first place?”
“Have you ever experienced complete calm while simultaneously being energized?”
“Yes, I had a day like that my sophomore year. So Adele, what do I have in my car? Does it contain the peyote?”
“Yes, Pat, it does.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way. And is there a reason we are waiting so long to try this miracle elixir? By the way, Irene and Pam, I heard about the energy producing effects of NIL. With the hours I keep, and the heap of stuff on my plate every single day, I need it.” Patricia exercised her political entitlement to not disclose the whole truth.
“Hear, hear.” Irene enthusiastically added.
“I agree. Let me call up the others and I’ll bring a couple of stools in so we can all sit.”
“While Joshua is gone, not that I want to exclude him, but I want to tell you about a group I have started called BASIC. Have you ever heard of it?” Patricia asked.
“No.” All nodded in the negative.
“BASIC stands for Brothers and Sisters in Cancer. It’s a group of us in Frankf
ort that get together to pray for those suffering from cancer and who wished to be prayed for. Is it ok with you, Pam, if I include Jimmie’s name on our prayer list?”
“Absolutely. That sounds wonderful, and thank you.”
“Irene, I have lymphoma and I swear to you the NIL seems to be working. The tumors are shrinking. Just for full disclosure, I am also taking two experimental drugs.” Adele said.
Joshua appeared carrying a stool, as was Tracy. The two youngsters sat on the stools. “I assume we are all here because of the NIL. If anyone is hesitant, please raise your voice. Otherwise. I am going to pour eight portions.”
There was no response. Joshua poured eight sake cups, each half full, and slowly went through the sniff, lips, and swallow routine, explaining the whys and wherefores of doing so.
After a few moments of silence, Patricia said, “Joshua, you are going to have trouble getting this off the ground. There are new regulations in place that could severely handicap your plans.”
“I don’t think so.” Namanda rebutted. “There is a section of 510 that excludes Native Americans from many of the requirements. For instance, with the exclusion, which by the way is tied in with a treaty with France, he would not have to use government approved fertilizers. He also would not have to report revenues that exceeded one thousand U.S. dollars. And he also could legally use the cactus flower if the product were to be consumed on premise. In essence turning Joshua down would be breaking a hundred year old treaty.”
Mouths open, all looked at Patricia expecting a red-faced retaliation. Instead, Patricia smiled. “I want you on my campaign team, young lady.” Group relaxation returned. Adele, on the drive down, had forewarned Pat about Namanda’s incredible gifts, which included her tendency to be naively undiplomatic.
“Are you Native American, Joshua?”
“I think so. I was given a full ride to Purdue because I could prove I was raised on an Apache reservation. And I was, for over eleven years, starting at age three. My legal name is Yashua, the name given me by the tribe’s chief.”
“Well look, be it easy or be it hard, I am in your corner. Adele has told me about the size of your heart, and what you want to accomplish in the mental health arena. I totally agree. Totally. Do you have ideas on how I might be able to help you?”
“We are underfunded. If there is a grant out there for experimental farming, it would help. We want to construct a greenhouse in the valley. That is beyond our reach right now. And I want to grow hemp here for the purpose of creating biofuels. Did Adele tell you we have a similar operation in Arizona, with preliminary plans to duplicate this in Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and California?”
“I need time to get my arms around this. I need to know everything so that I can approach a certain gentleman who I know would support your efforts financially. But I need to be smart, and frankly, I need some proof that this stuff does what you claim. I hope I am not sounding harsh, but it needs to be said before I can make you any promises.”
“I understand, and no, you are speaking the way it needs to be addressed. I am thankful for your interest. And Patricia, you can help me in another way. With your contacts, and knowledge, if there is a way to get the NIL in front of troubled kids, I would greatly appreciate that.”
“Hmm. Let me think about that. It’s not that my mind isn’t exploding with ideas, it’s where to start. Good gracious, I feel like going for a jog. I have to get back, but this is so much fun. My goodness, are you ladies feeling it like I am?”
Every arm rose.
“One more thing, Pat. I assume the Department of Health is aware of the new strain of avian flu. I would love to see if the NIL is effective in fighting that type of flu. I don’t think Kentucky has any occurrences yet, but I don’t doubt that it will come.”
“I will keep that in mind. Thanks Joshua. Let’s do something. I’m as eager as a mosquito that found a nudist camp.”